PROSECUTORS POISED TO CHARGE STALLWORTH WITH DUI

Posted by Mike Florio on March 14, 2009, 6:47 PM EDT

As authorities in South Florida wait for the results of a blood draw performed on Browns receiver Donte’ Stallworth, a source with knowledge of the investigation tells us that prosecutors are preparing an indictment for DUI manslaughter, under the assumption that the results will show that Stallworth’s blood alcohol content exceeded the legal limit of 0.08 percent when he collided with a pedestrian, who later died.
Per the source, Stallworth admitted to drinking at least four Patrons and two Margaritas. A separate source called that information “basically right,” but added that Stallworth contends he had his last drink at midnight. The incident occurred after 7:00 a.m. local time.
We’re also told that Stallworth claimed in his statement to police that he saw the man crossing the street from a distance, and flashed the high beams and honked the horn of the Bentley he was driving. Apparently, there’s an issue as to whether Stallworth could have taken evasive action because of a barrier along the median.
We’re told that Stallworth is badly shaken by the news that the pedestrian had died.
And, frankly, he should be. Apart from the fact that he was involved in an accident that claimed a man’s life, Stallworth could be facing serious criminal liability, if the pending test reveals an impermissibly high concentration of alcohol in his blood.

Ummm…. “he saw the man crossing the street from a distance, and flashed the high beams and honked the horn of the Bentley he was driving. Apparently, there’s an issue as to whether Stallworth could have taken evasive action because of a barrier along the median.”… it’s called slowing down- it’s why they invented brakes- so you wouldn’t kill people.

I feel horribly for this person’s family. We don’t know all the details yet BUT….considering Stallworth just got paid a $4 million dollar roster bonus yesterday, do you think he could of sprung for a limo or a taxi of some sort if he was going to go out and about in South Beach???? These morons will never learn!

greggo has it right. The fact that he admitted seeing the man from “a distance” means he could have/should have been able to avoid him – unless he was speeding, which I am willig to be bet my life savings he was also doing. Drinking, driving and speeding seem to be the newest hobby for the NFL millionares. So sad a man has lost his life over some idiot’s negligence. I bet there will be a fairly hefty lawsuit (which he can definitely afford thanks to Friday’s bonus payment).

We’re also told that Stallworth claimed in his statement to police that he saw the man crossing the street from a distance, and flashed the high beams and honked the horn of the Bentley he was driving. And then he proceeded to run the victim over? That dude most likely has “other” illegal shit in his system.
His .BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) MUST be his IQ!

“Put yourself in his shoes.”
Can’t. I don’t drive drunk. Don’t drive a Bentley, either. If I did own a Bentley, I’d probably only drive it on Sundays or something. If at all. Do you know what those things cost?
“In this country we are innocent until proven guilty, except here. ”
No no no. In this country, there is a presumption of innocence as far as the courts are concerned. Everywhere else is fair game.

I’m sorry for everyone who keeps calling this guy a moron. He went out on a Friday night after getting paid. He partied, got drunk, slept it off, and was driving home in the morning 7 hours later. Like any average person would do.

Pea Tear Griffin says:
March 14th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
“four Patrons and two Margaritas”
I’d be on my ass. And even 7 hours later I’d be way too hung over to drive. It’s a tragedy, but let’s hope it wasn’t a senseless one.
—————
On your ass? I’d be buzzed

coyle says:
March 14th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Put yourself in his shoes. In this country we are innocent until proven guilty, except here.
Just because you weren’t proven guilty it doesn’t mean your not. So as a speaking thinking person, I do not need a jury that may have gotten to see half the evidence or testimony to tell me he did not do it. He hit the man with his car. Maybe there were circumstances, etc but the pedestrian has the right of way (in America) especially in a cross walk. So that freaking means guilty. I am sure his high priced lawyer and people that see the CRIMINAL as the victim will let him off.

Daylight savings time.
Still not light out.
And stallworth was racing home before sunup.
Next!
I really like how the posse tried to get out in advance of the public issuance of the details on this one, to massage the message so everyone would think stalls was as pure as the driven snow.
Guess again. Next!

Don’t know the circumstances so I won’t comment on that but I will say being a person who is a car enthusiast if im driving a bentley or a lambo or some rediculously expensive car and there is a guy walking in the middle of the street and I have no place to stop meaning im forced to run into something and possibly wreck my car and injure myself, I’m going through the dude in the middle of the street. He shouldn’t be there and I should not be forced to sacrifice myself and the car.
That said obviously no one knows the circumstances if he was drunk or had a chance to get out of the way or if the guy was jaywalking. I do know if you are running in traffic regardless of “right of way”, shit happens, and you are putting yourself at risk. I don’t stop when people are running across the street ahead of me, if anything i slow down a little. If they fall down they messed up their timing and were putting themselves at risk to begin with, its their fault. There is a reason they have walk paths at intersections.
First thing we should find out is what type of road it happened on and if it was near an intersection or not. We could speculate more then =P

What a waste, on the part of both men.
Stallworth could have, SHOULD have, called a limo service with that far shiny new 5 million dollar guarantee he just got.
Nope, another stupid “I’m above it all” celebirty/jock.
He killed a man. Think about that. He ran someone over, and now that man is dead. That man’s family will never see him again; because some nitwit, millionaire athlete that isn’t even all that good at catching a simple football thinks he can drive drunk and suffer no consequences.
He’s innocent until proven guilty? He HIT a freakin’ pedestrian and KILLED him; how is he NOT guilty????
If he said he had four Patrons and two Margaritas, he probably had way may than that; if he said his last drink was at midnight, it probably was at 4AM; if he said he honked his horn and flashed his lights, he probably was flying and never even saw the guy.
For God’s sakes, if you see the man from a distance, and have enough time to honk your horn and flash your headlights, you have enough damn time to swerve and miss him!!!! WTF is wrong with this moron, to say things like that?!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope Stallworth’s BAC is sky-high, and dude never plays another NFL down, relegating himself to the same prison yard football time as another loser, Micheal Vick.

grandmachine says:
March 14th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
“Well, if he waited 7 hours after his last drunk before getting on the wheel. I’m pretty sure he would be sober. I really enjoy on how people from PFT are really naive.”
You are correct on this for the amount of alcohol he claims to have consumed. I know for a fact from personal experience, as I am qualified to do the SFST’s, that someone who has consumed alcohol and is driving a vehicle will almost always never admit to the exact amount of alcohol in thier system. Not saying that is the case here, but it very well could be. I guess we will all find out when the lab results are back.

if he had time enough to see the guy then proceed to flick his high beams and honk his horn, then there should have been enough time to slow the car down enough to not kill the man. How many times does alcohol have to be involved in a crime before people wake up and realize that it’s not safe. Alcohol kills people everyday but yet marijuana is the illegal drug and never killed anyone.

“Hey easy on leonard little he paid his dues! Now he goes and talks to different people about drinking and driving also he had to get his navigator fixed”
I see Leonard Little at a Charlotte-area restaurant, drinking, and then getting into HIS Bentley and driving off. No B.S.

stop payment on the bonus check for action detrimental to the team…. and if he cashed it they should freeze it for the victims family immediately…… Donte thought he the big man screwing the city of Cleveland………. if this report is true …. he’s going away big time

the news reports down here in South Florida say that Stallworth was driving East bound towards Alton Rd./South Beach at that time of the morning, ecspecially now with the recent time change, the glare of the sun can brutal and is the cause if numerous “fender benders” on the multiple causeways here in Miami

Hello,
I am not a stalLworth supporter, but! If the dumbass pedestrian jumped across the median bearacade, don’t care what donte’s blood alcohol was, the pedestrian caused the accident! Doesn’t sound like it was a cross walk now does it? No one is responsible for their actions these days wether rich or poor. forget the alcohol results, if idiots dart out in front of you and stop, give donte a break!

robfridays wrote: “the news reports down here in South Florida say that Stallworth was driving East bound towards Alton Rd./South Beach at that time of the morning, ecspecially now with the recent time change, the glare of the sun can brutal and is the cause if numerous “fender benders” on the multiple causeways here in Miami”
I guess this just shows you how much farther east Miami is than Atlanta, and the difference that 660 miles in latitude can make. Up here in Atlanta – with the recent time-change – it has been almost pitch-black at the time that Stallworth’s accident occurred. (That’s why I was wondering if darkness was a factor in this accident.) Up here, the sun’s glare doesn’t become a factor until at least an hour later. Just the other day, I was driving eastbound just before 9 a.m. – this is when I had to fight the blinding glare of the sun.

bubba maximus, u must be one of those dikheads that walks in front of vehicles expecting to let you cross, like some pompous ass. I always loved it when people do that. Newsflash, if its between you and a car, the car will when. Look b4 you cross the street, make sure the road is clear, then cross..Should be taught by every parent, but apparently it was lost on your ass

Probable Accident site coordinates
25°46’18.67″N
80° 8’58.15″W
google earth for the accident site or your favorite sat photo program. I assume this is the site based on news reports of Termial Island and McArthur Causeway. The site appears to match the video I viewed at the sun-sentinel and NECN
Saw some videos. Bag of cracker jacks opened. I assume the autopsy of his stomach will be interesting. It appears the intersection has some type of traffic lightr. News reports say the pedestrian was trying to catch a bus. I’ve seen lots of Pedestrian do stupid things to catch a bus since in real life (when I’m not doing root canals on Hitler) I’m a cabbie.
Sunrise is 7:31 7;17 is closer to dawn than pitch black I think
You can see where the bus stop is on the westbound side of the road just east of the intersection.

Just when you think things can’t possibly get worse for the Browns, a freshly-bonused Stallworth just ends someone’s life. I truly hope he was not impaired.
If you love rooting for the underdog like I do, then the Browns are your team! (Unless you live in Detroit.)

I know where the accident happened. The guy was jay walking. That is not a “pedestrian crossing” area. It’s high traffic and fast moving traffic. Basically that route turns into highway. There is a median, which would have precluded Donte from swerving, left, but cant figure why flashing beams would out rank braking. They should take a blood alcohol level of the pedestrian as well. People on the street out there, and especially at that time, are likely just as fk’d up.

Some of you guy are quick to blame Stallworth but think about if you see a child in the street you will always slow down. You see a grown man in the street dashing between cars or outside the crosswalk you expect him to see you and stay out of the street. Drunk(a lot worse without question) or Sober you don’t expect people to walk into your path.
Crosswalks also have signals he could have been the crosswalk and the driver have a green light.
So quit hating on the man and his money….The Facts will come out……

Leonard Little got 90 days in jail for killing someone while plastered.
So 90 days is the going rate for drunk murder for nfl players right?
If he served his time now he would be ready to play by Sept!
Sad but true.

Mike Hunt, brilliant logic. If someone crosses the street when a car is coming they deserve to be killed. Judging by your name and grammar you can’t be past 16, but if you’re buying into your “devil’s advocate” theories then you need a dose of ethics.

He says he had 4 patrons and 2 margarita’s, yeah why would anybody incriminate themselves. He probably had double that. The blood test should reveal the truth. By the way, this isn’t the first time that he has violated the personal conduct policy is it? Could have sworn that he was in a program for drinking and substance abuse. If this shakes out obviously his career is over, its all about what kind of jailtime he is looking at. He shouldn’t be drinking at all. Even if criminal charges don’t stick, he would be looking at punishment from his employer.

“Don’t know the circumstances so I won’t comment on that but I will say being a person who is a car enthusiast if im driving a bentley or a lambo or some rediculously expensive car and there is a guy walking in the middle of the street and I have no place to stop meaning im forced to run into something and possibly wreck my car and injure myself, I’m going through the dude in the middle of the street. He shouldn’t be there and I should not be forced to sacrifice myself and the car.”
If you value a car over a human life you’re a worthless piece of shit.
And by the way – if you’re going so fast you can’t stop for a pedestrian in a crosswalk – slow the hell down.

25°46′18.67″N
80° 8′58.15″W
put this in google earth or some other Sat Photo service and it wil show you the intersection. It’s rather obvious that unless Stallworth ran a red light the pedestrian was jaywalking.
Jaywalking is:
Not using the crosswalk
using the crosswalk when the light is red/Don’t Walk
Running in the crosswalk

braking might not be the best decision. You might end up making you and the bentley a twisted bit of wreckage if you wind up in the guardrail that starts the jersey barrier divider back up.
Look at the intersection on Google earth before you sound even more stupid.

wow, you learn something everyday. like today, i learned that in miami the highways have crosswalks (wtf?). Also, i learned if you drink one night, the next days youre still drunk. awesome, thanks pft!

This is like a matter of being at the wrong place at the wrong time, just like Lynch. Except Lynch didn’t kill anyone.
Stallworth would have been better-served keeping quiet instead of admitting he was drinking the night before, and had time to honk and flash. Now the DA, and the vic’s family, has ammo, even if his BAC turns out to be below legal limits.

I have zero patience or tolerance for drunk drivers, as a drunk driver did his best to try and kill my son two years ago (My son survived, was badly injured, but is OK now.) If Stallworth was driving while intoxicated, I hope he does not get a break because of his celebrity status. A man’s life is over, and that’s what matters.